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Phil. 360
Ethical Theory

Ethical Theory

Syllabus

This course is an introduction to ethical theory. It surveys major positions in ethics (egoism, deontology, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics) and considers a number of issues relating to ethical theories in general (relativism, skepticism, moral alienation, and cultural diversity in ethics).

Required Texts

  • Hinman, Lawrence M. Ethics: A Pluralistic Approach to Moral Theory. 4th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 2003.
  • Ethics Updates:http://ethics.sandiego.edu
  • Selected Internet resources (listed on the syllabus as reading assignments)

We will have a lot of additional reading, but almost all of it will be available in PDF format or on the web. A more detailed list of the readings will be available in our course calendar.

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Assignments

All students are expected to complete the following assignments:

  • Read the assigned course materials
  • Attend class and participate in class discussions
  • Take the mid-term and final exams at the assigned times
  • Write 10 journal entries (1-2 pages typed for each entry)

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Grades

Assignment  
Possible Points:
First exam:  
35 points
Second exam:  
35 points
Journals:  
30 points
TOTAL  
100 points


98-100
A+
 78-79
C+
93-97
A
 73-77
C
90-92
A-
 70-72
C-
88-89
B+
 68-69
D+
83-87
B
 63-67
D
80-82
B-
 60-62
D-
0-59
F
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Office Hours

My office is located in Founders Hall 164. See below for office hours. I am also available by appointment at other times.

Lawrence M. Hinman, Teaching and Office Hour Schedule, Fall Semester, 2009

Schedule: Fall Semester, 2009

  Monday Tuesday Wendesday Thursday Friday Room
Phil. 321, Sect. 1: Social Ethics   7:45-9:05   7:45-9:05   C109
Office Hours   9:10-10:40   9:10-10:40   F-164
HNRS 347: Computer Ethics   10:45-12:05   10:45-12:05   M222
Office Hours   12:10-1:10   12:10-1:10   F-164
Other times by appointment

My e-mail address is hinman@sandiego.edu. I check my mail frequently, even when I'm not on campus, so this is an excellent way of reaching me.
My secretary's phone number is 260-7732.

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World Wide Web Site

This syllabus, including specific reading assignments throughout the semester, will be available on the World Wide Web at:
http://ethics.sandiego.edu/phil360

Also, a variety of resources for ethics is available at my site, Ethics Updates. Its address is:
http://ethics.sandiego.edu/
Please consult these regularly. All specific assignments, etc. will be available on the web site.

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Attendance, Participation and Journals

Attendance and participation are an integral part of the course. Participation is judged on (1) students' grasp of the assigned reading material; (2) their ability to apply ideas developed in the readings to new situations, including their own experience; and (3) their ability to listen to, and respond relevantly to, the comments of other students in the course.

Exams

There will be two exams in the course. Details about the exams will be given in class.

Cheating

Any student caught cheating on an exam, paper, or other assignment will automatically receive a grade of "0" on that assignment and, in addition to this, have his/her course grade lowered by an additional full letter grade. When appropriate, this will be reported to the proper University authorities.

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